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The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap is a computer-animated film released by Mayfield Pictures, Nintendo Studios, and Warner Animation Group. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the 2nd film in the NCU. It is technically a sequel to The Legend of Skyward Sword mini-series. Plot The plot of The Minish Cap revolves around the backstory of Vaati and the birth of the Four Sword, which were important elements of Four Swords and its sequel Four Swords Adventures. The Minish, who are also referred to as the Picori by the Hyruleans, are a race of tiny creatures that bestowed a young boy with a green garment, a sword, and a shining golden light to drive back the darkness many years before the game is set. There are three types of Minish: Town, Forest, and Mountain. The quest begins when Link is chosen by the king of Hyrule to seek the help of the Picori after Vaati had destroyed the Picori Blade and petrified Princess Zelda. With the blade shattered, evil monsters were released into Hyrule and Vaati was able to create chaos in his search for the Light Force. Link was chosen because only children can see the Picori. On the voyage, he finds and rescues Ezlo, a strange being resembling a green cap with a bird-like head, who joins him and can shrink Link to the size of the Minish. Although it is not revealed at first, he and Vaati are Minish (Picori)—Ezlo a renowned sage and craftsman and Vaati his apprentice. Vaati became corrupted by the madness and hatred of men and took a magic hat Ezlo had made for the people in Hyrule. The hat grants any wish made by the bearer, and Vaati wished to become a powerful sorcerer. Vaati then turned his old master, who had tried to stop them, into a hat. With the help of Ezlo, Link retrieves the four elemental artifacts and uses them to restore the Picori Blade to the Four Sword, capable of defeating Vaati. After Link restores the Four Sword, Vaati turns Hyrule Castle into Dark Hyrule Castle—the final dungeon in the game. Link fights Vaati just before he can drain Zelda of all of the Light Force hidden within her. Link defeats Vaati after engaging in a fight that consists of Vaati changing forms. When Link and Zelda flee from the collapsing castle, they meet Vaati as he again changes form for the final battle of the game. After the battle, Ezlo returns to his original form. He finds the cap of wishes he created and gives it to Zelda, granting her a wish. The people cursed by Vaati are cured and the castle is turned back to normal. The hat overflows with the power of life and disappears. Ezlo gives Link a new hat and tells him that he enjoyed traveling with him, then leaves just as the door to the Minish world closes. Production Since this was the second film in the NCU, this film would have been released regardless if Donkey Kong failed. Because Donkey Kong was a massive success both critically and financially, Mayfield and Nintendo had high hopes for The Minish Cap. But if this film failed, then the future of the NCU would be in the air. Marketing Because Zelda isn't everything everyone talks about, marketing The Minish Cap would be a challenge. Burger King released a 6-toy-set that had Link, Zelda, Vaati, Ezlo, Beedle, and a toy where Link would pull the Four Sword out of the stone. Coca-Cola again did a promotion to give away a free ticket to see the film at Nintendo World NYC. Release The film was given a PG Rating for violence and strong themes. The film did not receive the expected controversy from fans before release, because Zelda fans expect the best. Reception Box Office Results The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was a smash hit at the box office, making $90,000,000 at the domestic box office, $70,000,000 in Japan, $42,000,000 worldwide, making a grand total of $202,000,000. Critical Reception The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap received positive reviews from critics and Zelda fans. It earned an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 7.4/10 on IMDb, and a 68 on Metacritic. With the success of both films and the Skyward Sword mini-series, everything was looking good for the project. Home Media The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap was released on DVD & Blu-Ray 4 months after the film's release. To promote the home release, Hardee's released a 4-toy-set. The film's first airing on TV was to promote the Four Swords mini-series, which was two years after the film's release in theaters.